05-Sep-2009 -- This is the last confluence visit out of a set of six. The story starts from 10°N 65°W.

After an unsuccessful attempt for Guyana’s 6°N 58°W we spend a couple days in Trinidad. Unfortunately, Trinidad and Tobago have no confluence points, so we left the island without any confluence activity.

For me and Elionora, the confluencing day begun at 4:00 am in Trinidad’s Capital Port of Spain. At 8:30 am we landed in Caracas Maiquetía International Airport. By bus and metro we reached Miguel and Anja’s home in Caracas, where we had a great breakfast. At 12:30, Alfredo Remon and Rainer Bostelmann came to us and we immediately departed with two cars towards the confluence point. Alfredo and Rainer had visited the confluence before; their participation and guidance was a farewell present for me and Elionora. Miguel and Anja were confluence newcomers.

Around 3 pm, we arrived at the house that is in 350 m distance from our goal. Here, we parked the cars and except Alfredo everybody started hiking. The owners of the house are meanwhile used to the confluence-tourism; we were welcomed to access their ground. Probably, if confluence hunting continues to flourish like this, future visitors will find a booth for buying entry tickets here.

Although the beeline distance is less than 400 m, the hike includes a river crossing and a climb of a steep grade with Δh = 150 m. At the heat of the afternoon, it was necessary to take our time and zigzag slowly on cows’ paths towards the confluence.

About 40 minutes after we left the vehicles, we reached the confluence point. Towards the West, the nearby town San Casimiro can be seen. Note that the town has been grown towards the confluence, as can be seen from a view West in 2004. The confluence is less than half way up to the top of the hill with an antenna on it. The panorama at the confluence is great. A barbed-wire fence is 20 m to the North.

Before we left the area, we stopped in San Casimiro for a drink. On the way back, we discussed interesting confluence-points worldwide. From the confluence visit reports we knew a lot about the characteristics of many points and also their visitors. In the evening, we spend our farewell dinner in a sushi restaurant in Caracas. The next morning, Elionora and me went back to Switzerland.

CP Visit Details:

Distance to an asphalt road: 350 m

Distance to a cow path: 10 m

Distance of car parking: 350 m

Distance to houses: 300 m

Time at the confluence: 3:41 pm

Hiking time (distance): 40 min (350 m)

Measured height: 768 m

Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m

Position accuracy at the CP: 3 m

Topography: steep grade, mountainous

Weather: sunny, 30°C (felt temperature)

Description of the CP: Closest confluence to Venezuela’s Capital Caracas, in the state Aragua, about 1 km East of the town San Casimiro. Half way up a hill on pasture land. Scattered bushes, ground covered with grass.